Category: CANA News

The Commander of the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey, Wednesday ended a two-day visit to Grenada and Antigua aimed at strengthening the longstanding security cooperation Washington shares with both countries.

‘Today’s stop in Grenada and yesterday’s visit to Antigua and Barbuda strengthened the longstanding security cooperation we share with both nations, partnerships which are vital to efforts to combat transnational criminal organizations and illicit traffickers who threaten the Caribbean and our homeland,’ according to a statement issued by the US Embassy in Barbados.

The Embassy said that he wrapped up his visit to the Caribbean ‘after meeting with Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) Acting Commissioner Randy Connaught to discuss bilateral efforts to address security threats in Grenada and the region’.

The Embassy said while in Antigua Holsey met with Antigua and Barbuda Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Telbert Benjamin, ‘to discuss strengthening cooperation and efforts to address shared challenges that affect this region, including transnational organized crime, illicit trafficking, and border security.

‘Our efforts to strengthen partnerships in the Caribbean are vital to combat transnational criminal organizations and illicit traffickers who threaten the region and our homeland,’ it added.

It said that in his discussions with Prime Minister Gaston Browne, they discussed ‘Caribbean security and the deepening of both nations’ bilateral defense partnership.

‘This partnership is integral to the region’s collective efforts to advance Caribbean security and stability. Our efforts to strengthen partnerships in the Caribbean are vital to combat transnational criminal organizations and illicit traffickers who threaten the region and our homeland,’ it added.

Holsey’s visit to Grenada comes against the disclosure by the Dickon Mitchell government that the United States had written seeking permission to install radar equipment and associated technical personnel at the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA).

The government said that ‘any decisions on that matter will be made only after all technical and legal assessments are completed.

‘We wish to assure our citizens that any decision taken will be guided by Grenada’s sovereignty, public safety, and national interest, including the protection of our tourism industry, the traveling public, and the country’s economic well-being,’ it added.

But former Senate president and trade unionist, Chester Humphrey and former foreign affairs minister, Peter David, have publicly come out against such a request, with Humphrey saying he is prepaed to lead a peaceful protest march.

Humphrey said that the move by Washington is a precursor to launching a military strike against the Nicolás Maduro government in the Venezuela.

David, an independent legislator, said in a statement that while Grenada values its longstanding partnerships with both the United States and Venezuela, any actions taken must be rooted in diplomacy, mutual respect, and regional cooperation.

West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct in the second Test against India.

Seales was found guilty of a Level 1 breach on Friday’s opening day of the second Test, during the 29th over of India’s first innings, when he fielded the ball on his follow-through and threw it at batter Yashaswi Jaiswal, hitting him on the pads.

Jayden Seales

On-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Paul Reiffel, third umpire Alex Wharf and fourth umpire K.N. Ananthapadmanabhan levelled the charge.

The bowler, however, contested the charge, claiming that he threw the ball while attempting a run out.

The match referee, referring to replay clips showing the incident from different angles, concluded that the throw was unnecessary and inappropriate, hitting the batter on the pads when he was within the crease.

Seales was found guilty of breaching Article 2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to ‘throwing a ball (or any other item of cricket equipment) at or near a player in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during an International Match.’

In addition to the fine, one demerit point has been added to Seales’ disciplinary record, taking his total demerit points to two in a 24-month period.

The previous demerit point for Seales dates back to a Test match against Bangladesh in December 2024.

Police have detained one of their colleagues after a businessman was shot and killed on Tuesday night.

The police said that the incident occurred in Nickerie on the north-west coast of the country and that initial reports indicate the conflict arose from a housing dispute.

They said that the police officer claimed the business owner, who owned four houses on Zeedijk, had sold one of the properties to him. But that had been denied by the businessman, whose name has not yet been made public.

The dispute escalated when workers were connecting a water line to one of the houses. The officer, who had observed the work on camera footage, drove to the scene in a patrol vehicle. A heated argument ensued, eventually escalating into violence.

The officer drew his service weapon and fired several shots at the business owner, who was rushed to Mungra Medical Center by family members and workers, where he died of his injuries shortly after arrival.

The officer has been placed in custody.

The St. Kitts and Nevis government says the twin island Federation has become the first country in the Caribbean to have its eBorder system recognised on the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) World Tracker for both Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) compliance.

It said that the recognition confirms that the Federation’s sovereign API-PNR system is fully operational and that airlines began transmitting API data as early as May 2025, and in August 2025 Sunrise Airways became the first carrier in the Caribbean to submit PNR data.

‘St Kitts and Nevis is proud to be recognised on IATA’s tracker as fully operational for both API and PNR,’ said Chief Immigration Officer, Sheldon Jeffers,’ adding ‘this reflects our commitment to providing border agencies with the tools needed to make informed, real-time decisions that enhance security and facilitation alike’.

The eBorder programme combines enhanced security with improved passenger facilitation. Pre-arrival screening supports more efficient border processing, reducing wait times for legitimate travellers and contributing to a seamless arrival experience.

‘With its listing as ‘In Force,’ St. Kitts and Nevis has reached the highest operational category on IATA’s World Tracker, a status that reflects not just legislative readiness, but live airline participation in both API and PNR submissions,’ said Glenroy Blanchette, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security.

‘It also underscores St. Kitts and Nevis’s ability to modernise border management through internationally aligned best practices while safeguarding both national security and traveller facilitation,’ Blanchette added.

The government said it is dedicated to building a safe, prosperous, and sustainable island state, fand that this new accolade comes on the heels of the September 2 announcement that the St. Kitts and Nevis had become the first country in the Caribbean to officially receive PNR data from international carriers.

Jamaica has launched a red snapper cage culture fin fish pilot project as part of the country’s food security programme while pioneering a new frontier in blue economy sustainability .

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining said the project is being undertaken by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in partnership with the National Fisheries Authority (NFA).

It forms part of a regional Shrimp and Red Snapper Pilot Grow-Out under the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) being implemented in Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts and Nevis by the FAO at a cost of approximately J$63 million (One Jamaica dollar=US$0.004 cents).

Locally, the Red Snapper Pilot Project is being undertaken at the NFA’s Bowden Bay Mariculture Research Facility in St. Thomas and NFA chief executive officer, Dr. Gavin Bellamy, said the initiative aligns with the ministry’s ‘FACE of Food’ programme, which focuses on food security, agribusiness development, climate-smart technologies, and export expansion.

‘It aligns with the overall vision for the fishery sector. First of all, Jamaica is moving and wants to achieve food independence-that is the main thing. Fish is a very healthy protein. So, we are trying our best to increase our marine stock. our tilapia, our captured fisheries, all our fish stock to have it accessible to the nation at a reasonable price,’ he said.

Bellamy also underscored the initiative’s environmental benefits, noting its potential to support the recovery of reef fisheries and to create ecological space for the return of other marine species.

The FAO’s June 2025 global assessment of marine fish stocks revealed that 64.5 per cent of fisheries are within sustainable limits, while 35.5 per cent are now overfished – underscoring the urgency and relevance of initiatives such as the Red Snapper Cage Culture Pilot Project

‘This helps us to reduce the stress initially on our reef fisheries, allowing our reef fisheries to rejuvenate, to increase sustainability for reintroduction of certain species. If we do this correctly, we can do import substitution and go into export,’ Bellamy noted.

He said that Jamaica currently imports approximately 80 per cent of the fishery products consumed nationally, adding that the country ranks among the highest consumers globally.

Meanwhile, Assistant FAO Representative for Jamaica, The Bahamas and Belize, Roslyn Jackson-Richards, spoke of the importance of collaboration for the project’s long-term success.

‘Public-Private Partnership is very important in this initiative whereby we are seeking to scale up the finfish and crustacean in the Caribbean, which is a broader initiative geared towards improved livelihoods and ensuring that we have a sustainable blue economy,’ she said.

Mrs. Jackson-Richards reaffirmed the FAO’s commitment to ongoing collaboration with the Ministry, emphasising the organisation’s support for exploring the initiative’s future expansion.

‘This project is beyond production. It is anticipated that the initiative will improve the livelihoods of coastal communities and expand the aquaculture sector in Jamaica,’ the FAO Representative said.

Bellamy reported that the Red Snapper Cage Culture Pilot Project is over 70 per cent complete and that the upcoming phase will involve transferring fingerlings into anchored sea cages, where they will undergo the grow-out cycle under close monitoring of growth rates, survival outcomes, and environmental performance indicators.

He said that documentation of the pilot project’s processes, associated costs, and emerging best practices is ongoing, and this information will be shared with CARICOM partners upon the initiative’s conclusion in 2026.

Shai Hope and John Campbell were the biggest jumpers for the West Indies in the most recent ICC Test batting rankings.

Hope, who scored 103 in the second innings of the second Test against India – his first Test century since 2017 – leapt a stunning 34 places from 100th to 66th place.

Meanwhile, Campbell, who scored 115 in the same innings, his maiden Test century, jumped six spots from 74th to 68th. All-rounder Justin Greaves, moved up five spots to 71st place after scoring an unbeaten, even half century, also in the second innings of the second Test.

Kraigg Brathwaite, who last featured in the Test series against Australia in July, still remains the West Indies’ highest ranked batsman despite dropping two places to 58th.

Alick Athanaze is the next highest ranked West Indian at 62nd.

Joshua Da Silva, who did not feature on the Indian tour, fell three spots to 75th, captain Roston Chase dropped one spot to 82nd, while Tagenarine Chanderpaul moved up two spots to 96th, the same as Gudakesh Motie.

In the Test bowling rankings, injured fast bowler Shamar Joseph moved down one spot to 16th, while Jayden Seales, who had a tough tour of India, dropped four places to 17th.

Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, who took the most wickets in the just concluded tour of India, moved up two places to 30th, one behind Alzarri Joseph, and Chase jumped four spots to 57th.

Bahamas has become the second Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country to indicate that it will not be voting in support of a Net-Zero Shipping Framework (NZF) aimed at reducing reducing emissions in the maritime sector.

Earlier, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said St. John’s was not in favour of voting in support of the measure being pushed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that was approved in April this year.

Bahamas Foreign Affairs Minister, Fred Mitchell.

‘Like the United States, we are equally concerned about this transition and we think that there should be a deferral and if there is no deferral, then we clearly will abstain,’ Prime Minister Gaston Browne told the state-owned ABS, saying Antigua and Barbuda favours a deferral in the adoption of the proposal as it will likely affect cost of living for the people of this country.

‘ We will not vote against it because at the end of the day, we are one of the most strident climate advocates as we have been advocating for net-zero, so we do not want to undermine our overall position on this transition to renewables and to achieve net-zero as soon as possible,’ Browne said

The matter is set for adoption during the Marine Environmental Protection Committee meeting that is taking place until October 17.

‘The Bahamas had some time ago written to the IMO to ask for the vote to be postponed, and if the vote is not postponed, we expect to abstain,’ said Foreign Affairs Minister, Fred Mitchell.

IMO Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, said while the IMO Net-Zero Framework ‘is not perfect,’ it ‘provides a balanced basis for our further work ahead of its entry into force in 2027.

‘This process has been inclusive and thorough,’ Dominguez added, urging delegates to approach the talks ‘with diplomacy and respect.

‘Here, we are diplomatic and respectful to one another, we listen to everyone’s opinion, we take steps forward and we are always looking to improve in this ever-changing sector.’

In a joint statement issued by the Secretary of State Rubio, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy, the United States warned countries against supporting ‘this European-led neocolonial export of global climate regulations.

‘We will fight hard to protect our economic interests by imposing costs on countries if they support the NZF. Our fellow IMO members should be on notice,’ they said.

Washington has said that President Donald Trump has made it clear that the United States will not accept any international environmental agreement that unduly or unfairly burdens the United States or harms the interests of the American people.

It said that this week’s vote on the adoption ‘will be the first time that a UN organization levies a global carbon tax on the world.

‘The Administration unequivocally rejects this proposal before the IMO and will not tolerate any action that increases costs for our citizens, energy providers, shipping companies and their customers, or tourists.

The NZF seeks to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping to align with the 2050 net-zero target. Key components include a Global Fuel Standard (GFS) setting annual GHG intensity reduction targets, a two-tier carbon price mechanism, and a credit trading system funded by penalties to reward zero and near-zero emission fuels and support a just transition.

The NZF presents a new regulatory era in which ships will be required to gradually adopt fuels that are typically three to four times more expensive compared with conventional fossil fuels. Given the long lifespan of ships, shipowners should prepare now for the new net-zero GHG emission regulations to ensure cost-effective compliance, both at the ship and the fleet level.

The Framework will apply to all oceangoing ships over 5,000 gross tonnage (GT). These ships are responsible for over 85 per cent of global shipping emissions and are already covered by reporting requirements for fuel data collection. Ships under 5,000 GT are currently not covered.

More than four years after he was assassinated at his private residence, the judicial matter involving the killing of President Jovenel Moise, has hit yet another snag.

Earlier this week, the Court of Appeals announced that it has reopened the investigation into the July 7, 2021 assassination of President, annulling a previously contested judicial order and assigning a new judge to pursue the long-stalled case.

Jovenel Moise

In its ruling issued on Monday, the Court also overturned the indictment by investigating judge, Walther Wesser Voltaire, citing procedural irregularities and failure to identify the masterminds behind the killing.

Voltaire had indicted a number of high profile people, including Martine Moïse, accused of complicity in the murder of her husband with whom she was with when the killers barged into their private residence overlooking the capital. She had to be flown to the United States for medical treatment following the killing.

The Appeals Curt has since appointed Magistrate Denis Cyprien to resume the investigation of the case, even as it ordered the continued detention of all persons already under judicial supervision, and requested mutual legal assistance from the United States and Canada.

Cyprien becomes the sixth investigating judicial official to handle the case, which has now dragged on for more than four years without a single trial. Those to be questioned include former police chief Léon Charles, ex-prime minister Ariel Henry and members of Moise’s family.

Court observers here say that the Appeals Court’s decision effectively resets the investigation, giving Haiti another chance to pursue justice in a case that had long been stalled.

President Moise was shot and killed on July 7, 2021, by a commando unit of former Colombian soldiers and Haitian American nationals posing as U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents.

Since his murder, the US Justice Department has taken into custody several suspects charging them with with conspiring to commit murder or kidnapping outside the United States as well as smuggling ballistic vests from the United States to Haiti for use in the assassination plot.

A former Haitian legislator, John Joel Joseph, has been since been sentenced to life in prison for conspiring to kill Moise.

Prime Minister Phillip Davis has appealed to public sector workers to take into consideration the existing socio-economic conditions in The Bahamas as trade unions plan mass demonstrations across the country on Wednesday in support of their demands for the payment of salary increases to their members.

The Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) and Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) have called on workers to march in downtown Nassau, with the BUT urging teachers in Grand Bahama to gather outside the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) in Freeport, and for Family Island teachers to stay at home.

Prime Minister Phillip Davis addressing the nation on the labour dispute

The BUT and other unions are demanding retroactive pay dating back to September 2024, and that all increases be applied and paid by the October payday, not December as previously stated by the government.

‘Senior civil servants already received their retroactive pay – thousands of dollars – backdated to September of last year. We’re saying the small man deserves the same. This isn’t a gift. It’s money already earned,’ said BUT President, Belinda Wilson.

But In a national broadcast on Tuesday night, Prime Minister Davis said that he was appealing directly to the workers saying that when he came into office in 2021, ‘we met a country still recovering from crises.

‘The economy was fragile. Thousands of Bahamians were out of work. Public finances were under strain. And within the public service, morale was low. Salaries had been stagnant. Promotions were delayed. Contract workers were stuck in limbo. Pensioners were struggling to live on fixed incomes that hadn’t been adjusted in years.’

Davis said that over the past four years, the government has worked steadily to restore fairness, dignity, and opportunity for workers.

‘We restored annual increments in the public service, those small but important step increases that reward years of service. For thousands of public officers, that meant more money in their pockets every year and an acknowledgment of their dedication.

‘We raised the national minimum wage for the first time in seven years, from US$210 to US$260 a week. That single decision increased take-home pay by nearly a quarter for the lowest-paid workers in this country. For many families, it meant an extra bag of groceries, a school uniform, or a light bill paid on time.’

He said that the government has negotiated and signed over 59 labour agreements, providing new wage increases, better allowances, modernized benefits, and clear career paths.

‘And still, with all of this progress, I was not satisfied. I knew we could do more for the men and women who serve this country every day. That’s why I initiated the national salary review, not the unions, not anyone else. I did it because I believed Bahamian workers deserved more. That is how we got to this moment.’

Prime Minister Davis said that he met with the leadership of the BUT and other public service unions, discussing the national salary review as well as the process the government initiated to ensure every public servant is paid fairly.

He said ‘we reviewed the findings, exchanged ideas’ and agreed to meet for further discussions.

‘But while we were still at the table, one of the union leaders made a public threat to call a national strike if I did not agree to the terms being demanded. Now, I understand emotions. I understand frustration. People want results. But when both sides are still talking, the respectful thing to do is to finish the conversation.’

Prime Minister Davis said that so instead of continuing under that kind of dynamic, he has decided to speak directly to the Bahamian people.

‘Here’s where we are. The national salary review is complete, and it will be made public. While the review did not include every category of public servants, the same methodology will be applied to ensure increases are extended across the wider public service.’

He said that the findings show that since coming to office in 2021, public officers have received salary increases every year, and that entry-level workers, the ones earning the least, have benefited the most with the consistency and regularity of their reassessments, salary adjustments, and increments, ensuring that these officers received their due in a structured, timely way, after many years of delay.

‘We did this because we made a decision to put workers first. Some have asked about the delay. The delay was not a cash flow problem. It was an administrative process, making sure the new salary adjustments for more than fifteen thousand public officers were accurate, fair, and done right the first time.

‘I am satisfied we have resolved the issue, and I want to reassure every public servant that you will be paid before Christmas,’ Davis said, adding ‘the union leaders have to do their jobs, to represent their members.

‘But I have to do mine, to represent all Bahamians. My responsibility is not only to one group, but to every citizen who depends on a strong, stable country. Some have asked what the grievance really is. There is no grievance here.

‘The grandstanding and public drama do not change the fact that this Government is paying workers as promised. So the question must be asked, is the objection to the fact that we are paying? Surely, no one can object to fairness being delivered.’

Prime Minister Davis said he will on Thursday meet with other trade union leaders to continue the national conversation about how ‘we keep moving forward together’ adding ‘I have always respected the role of unions in our national story.

‘I believe discussions work best when there is mutual respect and trust. I have always been a respectful and patient listener, and I am open to any conversation held in good faith. But I will not take part in any process where dark clouds of threats hang over the table.

‘That is not how I was raised, and that is not how I lead. I don’t believe in shouting matches or grandstanding,’ Davis said, adding ‘ I will not sit in any room where respect is not mutual and shouting is the only tool on the table’.

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary general, Dr. Carla Barnett Wednesday underscored the importance of statistics to regional development saying that the 15-member grouping is at the midpoint of implementing the 12-year Regional Strategy for the Development of Statistics.

In a message marking Caribbean Statistics Day 2025, Barnett said that the occasion coincides with the culmination of the 2024-2025 Year of Statistics in CARICOM, which marked the 50th anniversary of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians.

Caribbean Statistics Day is being observed under theme ‘Improving Lives through Statistics: Strengthening and Innovating Together’ and the CARICOM Secretary General said that during the year, the region placed renewed emphasis on Standards and Harmonization and the integration of statistical systems.

She said key regional instruments have been successfully piloted and are now being institutionalized, including the CARICOM Quality Assurance Framework, CARICOM Code of Good Statistical Practices, and the Generic Statistical Business Process Model to guide the end-to-end lifecycle of all statistical activities.

‘CARICOM is at the midpoint of implementing the 12-year Regional Strategy for the Development of Statistics, which provides a clear roadmap with mechanisms to strengthen statistical systems, ensuring that accurate and timely data inform decision-making.

‘CARICOM governments are reviewing the necessary legal and institutional frameworks, and seeking to provide the financial, technical and human resources to support the work of National Statistical Offices, including taking note of the increasing role for digital transformation and modernised statistical operation,’ Barnett said.

But she acknowledged that ‘the journey ahead is as critical as the progress behind us’ and in the community spirit which exemplifies CARICOM, ‘a harmonized regional approach to statistics development will continue to be essential as we strive to fill data gaps and improve statistical standards across the region.

‘On Caribbean Statistics Day, we therefore recommit to strengthening national and regional statistical processes to ensure timely and accurate data for decision-making, in keeping with our theme this year,’ she added.